


The Crane Returns a Favor

by makkachino



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Fantasy, Gen, M/M, Mild Blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 03:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13802550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makkachino/pseuds/makkachino
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki, a young man from a small, dying town, finds an injured crane in the woods one evening on his walk home. After Yuuri dresses its wounds, the bird flies away... Only to return a few weeks later, in the form of a beautiful man. Based on a Japanese folk story by the same title, and written for the Big Bang!!! on Ice.





	The Crane Returns a Favor

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I have been wanting to write for a while, and the Big Bang!!! on Ice seemed like the perfect opportunity. Over the past several months, this has become very dear to my heart, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
> 
> The banner was created by [Lui](https://roadhouss.tumblr.com/), and [Mary](https://artofmarylarson.tumblr.com/) is responsible for the illustration of crane!Viktor, and both of them have given me permission to embed their illustrations directly into the text below. They are both fantastic artists, and if you like what you see here, you should check them out on Tumblr.
> 
> Mary, Lui, working with the two of you was one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had writing fanfiction. You're both sweet, kind, incredible people, and very talented artists. I feel so honored that the two of you chose me to partner with for this project, and I hope my writing didn't let you down. The art you have created really helps bring this story to life, and I'm forever grateful to you for that. I had a lot of fun with this, and I hope we can stay in touch.

Winter was always the longest season in Hasetsu. As soon as the cold air set in, it was like time stopped for the seaside town. Fewer ships pulled into their port, fewer tourists and pilgrims passed by on the roads. Even the farmers who worked the land surrounding the village came to market far less frequently than they did during the warmer months. It became difficult to track how many days passed between visits from outsiders, because it was hard enough to keep track of how many days had passed at all. Every week seemed to drag on for years, and by the time spring approached, every family was praying for the the arrival of the fisherman and the traders who would restock their food stores and bring their businesses back to life.

Yuuri might have been the only resident who _enjoyed_ the season, and even he only had one reason for loving winter above the others. The pond at the edge of the woods took a few weeks of bitter cold weather to freeze over enough for skating, but once it did, Yuuri made the hike almost every day. With no customers at his family’s inn, there was little work to do. He was free to spend his days as he wished. 

Going to the pond was the perfect escape for him. He didn’t have to think about all of his problems back home. How he was twenty-three and still unmarried. How Hasetsu was slowly dying, and more and more families moved away every year. How his parents had been growing noticeably thinner, even before the cold weather had settled in and stolen away their only source of income. 

When he was skating, all of that disappeared. He could be anything he wanted to be. Or he could be nothing at all, which seemed to be the case more and more frequently, the more that particular winter dragged on and on. It was so easy to lose himself on the ice. Hours would pass in what felt like minutes.

Some nights, Yuuri would stay until the sun was long gone from the horizon, and skate underneath the moon and stars. It made him feel lonely, in a way that was oddly comforting. But in recent years, bandits and thieves had become more and more common near the village. For his mother’s peace of mind, Yuuri usually tried to be back before dark. The days were so short, there never seemed to be enough time…

He was cutting it close, on that fateful evening. He could already see the pale orange of the setting sun, shining through the spindly, leafless branches. The snow on the ground reflected the light so brightly, but the day was almost over. Yuuri picked up his pace, his skates bouncing against his back as he walked briskly. He was already tired from spending all day on the pond, twirling until he was dizzy and jumping higher than he had ever been able to jump before-

Yuuri nearly jumped out of his coat, the first time he heard the sound. Not quite a chirp, not quite a croak, loud and desperate. Yuuri stopped in his tracks, and had almost convinced himself that he hadn’t heard anything at all when the sound came again. It was a bit fainter this time, but Yuuri could hear very clearly the direction it was coming from. 

Even as he stepped off of the path, he knew it was stupid to do so. The sound easily could have been the bandits his mother worried about so much, trying to trick him. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was making that sound was in pain, and needed his help. 

He didn’t make it far past the treeline before discovering the source of the noise. The crane was so white that it might have blended in with the snow perfectly, save for the red and black feathers on its head. The ground underneath was stained with blood.

 

“Oh no…” He swallowed, the sight making him feel sick to his stomach. He took another step closer, and the bird’s noises grew louder, its wings flapping in a desperate attempt to escape - and that was when Yuuri noticed the arrow, right through the poor creature’s wing. 

“Shh, it’s okay! I want to help!” Yuuri crouched down, feeling a bit foolish as he took a slow half-step closer. Cranes were beautiful, majestic, and even thought to bring good luck, but they were still just birds. Would talking to it really help? 

… It would, apparently. Yuuri swore that the crane looked him straight in the eye as it stopped struggling. He sighed with relief; wounded animals could be even more dangerous, if they were desperate enough. When Yuuri moved closer still, the crane didn’t try to move away, or peck him. It just kept watching. 

“May I…?” Yuuri asked, reaching for the injured wing. He thought the crane might have nodded its head, but that had to be a coincidence. When Yuuri’s hand touched the arrow, the bird let out another painful cry, so suddenly that Yuuri fell backwards in surprise. “Sorry, I’m sorry! L-look… I really want to help you, but it’s going to hurt. I’ve got to get the arrow out, can you hold still for me?” 

That time, the crane nodded for sure. Yuuri offered it a half-hearted smile in return. Maybe he was dreaming? Maybe he had gone mad, spinning around on the ice so fast for so long? Maybe, he had fallen through into the freezing cold water below, and this was some sort of bizarre afterlife? Maybe, all of the old wives’ tales about the woods being enchanted had some truth to them after all? 

None of those explanations were quite satisfying enough, and none of them changed the fact that Yuuri had a job to do. Yuuri looked at the wound, examining it carefully. The arrow had penetrated the skin completely, and the tip had made it all the way through the other side. The easiest way to remove it would be to break it, and pull the rest clean through.

The wood was strong, and did not snap quite as easily as Yuuri had hoped it would. The crane whined again when the piece still embedded in its wing was jostled.

“Shh, shhh, it’ll be fine…” Yuuri wasn’t sure what kind of words would comfort a bird the most, but it felt wrong not to try. Especially since the crane seemed to understand everything he said. “This next part will probably be the worst, but just hang in there, alright?” 

After what sounded like an affirmative chirp, Yuuri began to pull on the arrow. He must have been right, about that being the worst of it, because the scream that came out of that crane’s mouth was the most agonizing sound he had ever heard in his life. It took everything in him to keep pulling, and not to stop as to cover his own ears. 

They both took a deep breath once the arrow was finally out, but Yuuri hesitated to relax before his work was finished. He still had to clean and bandage the wound. He had some water left in his canteen, and that might be enough, but as for a bandage… 

Another sigh, and Yuuri removed his coat. The shirt underneath was his favorite, a perfect shade of blue. The fabric was durable, and even after years of wearing it, the garment held its original shape, with no signs of the color fading. But as much as he loved the shirt, the crane needed it more than he did. The wound might get infected, if Yuuri didn’t wrap it, and then all he would have done was prolong the creature’s suffering. 

With the blade of one of his skates, slicing the fabric was easy enough. The crane looked at him, head tilted to the side as he used the last of his water to wet one of the scraps. 

“This will probably hurt, too, but I have to do it. If we don’t wash it out, it might get infected.” 

The crane let out another painful howl, as Yuuri began to dress the wound, but it wasn’t nearly as loud as that first one. It was still whimpering, by the time he was finished, and Yuuri himself was shivering. He felt all the more foolish, for not thinking to put his coat back on right away, and he laughed nervously as he did so. At least a bird wouldn’t judge him for such a dumb mistake. 

Yuuri stood, stretching his legs and arms. His stomach felt tight and anxious still, but at least it was over. He’d done all he could do, he just hoped it was enough... 

The crane looked up at him, nodding once again as it stretched out its wings. Yuuri backed up, to give the creature some room. As it began flapping its feathers, Yuuri wondered if it would really be able to fly at all. He had done his best, but he had no experience treating wounds like that.  

But, through some miracle, the crane was able to take off. Yuuri watched, eyes wide, as the beautiful creature soared higher, grinning a bit at the happy ‘caw’ it made for him before vanishing into the trees completely. 

Alone again, Yuuri realized just how dark it was becoming. He was still off the path, a perfect target for bandits. As much as he wanted to ponder exactly what had happened… He needed to get home, and fast.

Yuuri’s mother almost dropped dead on the spot when he walked through the door with blood on his hands. He was scolded thoroughly, and almost denied dinner, but for the most part, his family just seemed happy that he had returned safely.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri couldn’t stop thinking about the crane.

For the first few days after their encounter, he would venture off the path home just a little, just to see if he could find the strange creature. But it was gone, either following the rest of its flock south for the winter, or eaten by a predator in the night. The second possibility made Yuuri’s heart ache, but it was the natural order of things. Sometimes, the world was unkind to the weak. 

Yuuri even thought of the crane while he was skating. He tried to mimic the bird’s flight as best as he could, spreading his arms out wide as he glided across the ice, jumping so high that sometimes he wondered if he really _could_ take off and fly away, never to be seen again, just like the animal he tried so hard to imitate.  

After a few days, time started running together. Yuuri wasn’t sure how long it had been, since he found the crane. It might have been a week, maybe two. The days grew even shorter; sometimes it felt like Yuuri was only out on the pond for a few hours before it was time to lace up his boots and return home. 

The street lamps were already being lit when he returned to the village, on the day he was reunited with the crane. Yuuri’s neighbors greeted him with smiles and friendly waves as he made his way through town; these were faces he had grown up with, and even if he couldn’t put a name to each and every one, he knew them all by heart, though now there were much, much fewer faces to remember. At times the people of Hasetsu seemed as timeless as the winter. Once all of the tourists and traders left in search of warmer places to spend the winter, these were the faces that were left. 

So when Yuuri spotted a face he didn’t recognize, in front of his own home no less, it struck him as odd, in a way that brought on an anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach. It only occurred to him after that realization that the stranger was both incredibly beautiful, and incredibly naked. His long, toned body was curled up on itself, as if to keep warm. His long, impossibly silver hair was draped in a tangled mess around his broad shoulders, and even from several yards away, Yuuri could see just how much he was shivering, how red his skin was from the bitter cold. 

It took Yuuri a few moments to set aside his initial panic and spring into action. Everything about the situation was odd; Hasetsu almost never received visitors in the winter, let alone naked ones. Had the man been robbed? Had his family kicked him out of their inn in this state? Surely not… Yuuri’s parents could be strict at times, but never cruel. 

Regardless, he would freeze to death if Yuuri didn’t do something. Yuuri tossed his pack and his skates to the side, removing his coat and wrapping it around the strange man. He grabbed onto the fabric with his long, slender fingers, pulling around it tightly. Yuuri sighed with relief; at least he was still alive… 

“Are you alright?” Yuuri knew it was a stupid question. He had no idea how long the man had been outside like that; he was probably frostbitten, at best. Hesitantly, Yuuri placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. Would he die? Yuuri gulped; he really hoped not... “Oh, please be alright, please wake up…” 

He must have heard Yuuri, because his long eyelashes started fluttering, and when his eyes opened completely, they revealed a brilliant shade of blue that made Yuuri’s heart jump. It was such a striking color; Yuuri had never seen anything like it before. 

The stranger groaned, sitting up slowly, looking around as though he was disoriented. Finally, those blue eyes settled on Yuuri, looking, staring… before they shot open wide, and he broke out into a wide smile as he threw his arms around Yuuri, embracing him with all the strength he had left. It was more than enough to send Yuuri falling backwards in surprise, but the naked man held onto him all the same, nuzzling his cold nose against Yuuri’s neck and cheek. 

“Oh, finally, it’s you!” He said, hugging Yuuri tightly. “It’s you! I was so afraid you weren’t coming, but it’s _you_!”

Yuuri’s shoulders tensed up. Without his coat, he was already growing colder and colder, but the blush forming across his cheeks was warming him up fast. The stranger’s body felt cold, but firm and strong against his. “Um, I don’t-” 

When the front door slid open, Yuuri wasn’t sure if he was thankful that he wouldn’t have to figure out how to finish that sentence (because really, he had no idea what he was supposed to say, in a situation like that), or terrified, because now he had to explain to his father how he had managed to get into his current position; embracing a naked man on their front porch in the freezing cold.

 

* * *

 

Luckily, Yuuri’s family was more concerned about getting the naked man inside and out of the cold, than they were about asking questions. He looked a bit annoyed, when Yuuri’s older sister Mari wanted him to trade Yuuri’s coat for a warm, fluffy blanket, but eventually he relented. When he did, he seemed happy with that choice; he practically moaned as he nuzzled his face against the fabric, taking a seat next to Yuuri at the table. 

“Mmm, it feels so nice~” He said, wiggling closer to Yuuri so he could press it against his cheek. “See?” 

He was right; it did feel nice. Mari must have been warming it by the fireplace. As soon as she talked the stranger into taking it, she disappeared again, to find him a change of clothes to wear, and told Yuuri that it was his job to keep an eye on ‘the naked weirdo’. 

Not that Yuuri had any choice; the silver haired man hadn’t allowed Yuuri to be more than a few inches away from him since he set eyes on him. 

“Yes,” Yuuri replied, at last, though he didn’t dare look at the handsome man who was half-exposing himself to the empty dining room. “But keep it wrapped around yourself. You probably caught you death out there in the snow.” 

“Oh, I’ll be just fine.” Even as he dismissed the concern, he followed Yuuri’s instructions, wrapping the blanket tightly around his body. “You came to my rescue, Yuuri. I’ve got nothing to worry about.” 

Yuuri was about to ask how the stranger knew his name, but his mother shuffled into the room, carrying a tray with five large bowls, and Yuuri suddenly had something far more important to think about. 

Hiroko Katsuki was believed by most locals to be the best chef in all of Hasetsu, and her pork cutlet bowls were by far her greatest masterpiece. Simple, yet flavorful. Salty and savory and _perfect_. Nothing else could compare. In the winter months - precisely when such a tasty warm dish would be the most appetizing - she rarely prepared it; meat was a rare, precious resource that needed to be conserved. But the inn’s first guest in weeks must have been a special enough occasion. 

As soon as the tray was on the table, Yuuri reached for one of the bowls, but his hand was swatted away, and when he looked up, his mother was frowning at him. 

“Wait until our guest is dressed, dear,” she scolded, but with a soft, gentle smile that told Yuuri she understood. They were all hungry, and a meal this hearty had been a long time coming. 

When Mari returned with a fresh change of clothes, the stranger dropped his blanket without a second thought. Every Katsuki in the room turned away, face red, and Yuuri did his best to stare at a very interesting table in front of him, as he listened to Mari usher him out of the room. 

“Agh, who does he think he is?” Mari said, not bothering to keep her voice down. 

“Maybe he’s foreign?” Yuuri’s father suggested, as he took his own seat at the table, his expression only mildly uncomfortable as he bent his knees. Yuuri loved his father, and he hated to see how unkind time was to his muscles and joints. “A lot of people are surprised when they find out we bathe publicly, here in Hasetsu; customs might be different, wherever he’s from.” 

“He’d have to be, acting like that.” Mari sat down at the table, arms crossed over her chest, cheeks flushed the same shade of red as Yuuri’s. “Parading around naked. How did he even get through town like that?” 

“Does it really matter?” Yuuri asked, though it would be a lie, if he said he wasn't curious. It was hard to imagine anyone walking through town nude, let alone a stranger, in the middle of winter, completely unnoticed. “If we turn him out, he’ll die.” 

Mari sighed, “I wasn’t saying we should. I just think we should be careful, no matter how much you like the way he looks.” 

Yuuri felt his ears growing warm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

It was no use. Mari could always read him like a book, and she was grinning as her foot poked his underneath the kotatsu. “You can’t fool me, Yuuri. I saw the way you were looking at him. He’s pretty, I’ll give you that. I didn't realize that was your type.” 

Their mother nodded, a bit too eagerly. “I think he seems sweet, and he _really_ likes you, Yuuri.” 

“Oh, he does not. He’s just happy to be out of the cold, that’s all. We all would be, in his position.” 

Yuuri was proved wrong just moments later, when the stranger re-entered the room, his green robe tied sloppily around his waist, and settled down next to Yuuri, so close that their sides were pressed together. 

“Thank you, so much, all of you!” He said, smiling widely at the entire family. “This is so comfortable, I’ve never worn anything like it.” 

“You must be hungry,” Hiroko began passing the food around, making sure the guest had his bowl before the rest of the family got theirs. She winked at Yuuri, when he was presented with his last. “Go on, um, I’m sorry, I don’t believe we caught your name before. What should we call you?”

“What should you call me…?” The man tapped his chin, brows furrowed, as if he never needed to answer that question before. But that was impossible, everyone knew their own name… Still, it took him a few seconds of good, deep thought, before he came up with his reply. “Viktor. Yes, I like to be called Viktor. Is that alright?” 

Hiroko smiled, “That’s perfectly fine, dear. Viktor, go ahead and eat. You must be hungry, and it’ll help warm your insides.”

Yuuri didn’t wait; politeness be damned. The last few minutes had been something of a whirlwind, and Yuuri hadn’t had pork in at least a month. He nearly moaned, when that delicious taste unfolded across his tongue. If nothing else, Viktor’s arrival brought with it his favorite meal; he couldn’t complain too much about any of the other weirdness that came along with him 

After his first several bites, Yuuri glanced up at the taller man. Foreigners were often incredibly impressed, with Hasetsu’s delicacy. Some traveled miles out of their way to try it, when they heard people in other villages talk about how delicious the food at Yuu-topia was. But Viktor was still staring at his food, as if a perfectly ordinary bowl of rice was the oddest thing in the room. 

“What?” Mari said, breaking the silence that often came at the start of a delicious meal. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?” 

Viktor nodded slowly, “Yes, but…” 

Yuuri swallowed. He recognized the look on Viktor’s face; flustered, panicked, being put on the spot. Yuuri was used to being the one in that position. It wasn’t fun. 

Gently, while their mother scolded Mari for being rude to their guest, Yuuri nudged Viktor with his elbow. He gasped, glancing over at Yuuri, his cheeks an adorable shade of pink. His expression said the one word he couldn’t bring himself to say aloud. 

 _Help_. 

“You hold them like this,” Yuuri whispered, showing Viktor how to hold the chopsticks between his fingers. “And you use them to pick up the food. See? It’s easy.” 

“Easy…” Viktor repeated, voice full of fake confidence as he took hold of the utensils in front of him. He practiced with the chopsticks a few times, just like Yuuri showed him, before picking up a slice of pork with them. He brought the meat to his nose, sniffing it a few times before he ate it. 

His eyes lit up, just as they did when he saw Yuuri for the first time. “This is delicious! Amazing!” 

“You like that, huh?” Mari said, somehow sounding smug despite the fact that her cheeks were stuffed full of rice. “It’s our specialty. Folks come from all over to eat my Mom’s cooking.” 

The older woman waved off her daughter bashfully, but Yuuri couldn’t help noticing her proud smile. “Oh, I don’t know about all of that. But I have put a lot of work into this recipe over the years. And it’s Yuuri’s favorite.” 

“Yuuri’s favorite…” The strange man looked Yuuri up and down, sloppily taking a few more bites of his Katsudon. He still needed some practice with the chopsticks.

“What?” Yuuri asked, suddenly losing his own appetite, being stared at like that.

“Oh, nothing,” He hummed, returning his attention to the bowl in front of him. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

 

* * *

  

Yuuri was just about to fall asleep when he felt his blanket being lifted up, suddenly exposing his backside to the cold air around him. Yuuri shivered, yelped, and rolled over, ready to give his sister a mouthful - only to find that, rather than a mean prank from Mari, it was Viktor, crawling into his bed with him.”

“Yuuri!” He whined, pressing his cold body against Yuuri’s. It was like he hadn’t warmed up from being outside at all. “It’s _so_ cold! Is it always so cold here? How come you didn’t come to me?” 

Yuuri tried to squirm away, but the arms around his torso were surprisingly strong. “This is my room, where else would I be?” 

“Well, if I had known you were sleeping in here, I would have come here in the first place, instead of waiting for you in that other room.” 

“Of course I’m sleeping here, this is _my_ room!” Yuuri sat up in bed, frustrated and tired and _cold_ . All he wanted to do was go to sleep. “You have your own room. For _you_ to sleep in.” 

Even in the dim candlelight, Yuuri could see how brokenhearted Viktor looked. “But… I want to sleep with you.” 

Yuuri felt his cheeks growing warmer. Well, at least that fixed the cold problem. “Why? You barely know me.” 

“You saved my life.”

Yuuri shook his head. “I didn’t do anything; someone would have found you and brought you inside eventually.”

Viktor shook his head. “No, no, not that! When you found me in the woods. Anyone else would have left me for dead. That hunter didn’t even bother trying to find me, after he shot me down. But you pulled the arrow out. _You_ saved my life.” 

Yuuri felt his stomach do a back flip. “You’re the-” 

Viktor cut him off with a loud, clear, “ _Caw_!” There was no mistaking it. No human could make a sound like that, and it was Yuuri’s turn to stare at the other man in absolute wonder. 

He didn’t seem too put-off by it; Viktor continued to ramble on. “The rest of the cranes have all left for the winter. I tried to find them, but I don’t know the way on my own. If I didn’t do something, I was going to freeze to death, all alone in the woods - if something bigger and hungrier didn’t eat me first. Besides, I…” Under the blanket, Yuuri felt Viktor’s long, cold, boney fingers lacing through his. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I wanted to see you again, so I became human.” 

“Becoming human is… a thing cranes can do? That sounds impossible.” 

“It must be something we can do,” Viktor shrugged, seemingly unbothered by how ridiculous it all sounded. “I did it, didn’t I? Who cares if it’s impossible.”

“That’s easy for you to say…” Yuuri knew he wasn’t going to be able to completely wrap his mind around it, at least not tonight. Maybe Viktor’s dismissive attitude wasn’t the worst way to handle this, at least for the moment. “But I still don’t understand why you need to sleep in my bed, when you have your own. We have plenty of space, don’t you want some privacy?” 

“Maybe it’s different for humans...” Viktor said, sliding closer, until they were pressed up against each other. Apparently, he _didn’t_ care for privacy. Or personal space. “But cranes mate for life.” 

Yuuri’s entire body felt stiff. Wait, what? “Mate? Wait, Viktor-” 

“You’re the only one I want, Yuuri.” He leaned in to nuzzle at Yuuri’s neck; his nose felt particularly cold against Yuuri’s skin. Colder than the fingers that were no gripping his tightly, the only part of him that gave away how scared he was, that Yuuri might say _no_. “No one else has ever been so kind to me. You saved my life. I would have frozen to death, or been eaten by a predator, if you hadn’t stopped to help me.” 

Yuuri shook his head. “It was nothing, really-” 

“And then today, even though you didn’t realize who I was, you saved me all over again.” Viktor held onto him tightly, as if he were afraid Yuuri might try to run away. Maybe the fear wasn’t completely unfounded; if Yuuri had the opportunity to run, he might have taken it. The realization that the crane he had saved in the woods was now in his bed was an overwhelming one. One Yuuri still wasn’t sure he believed. “You took me into your home, gave me food and something to wear, and a place to stay.” 

“What was I supposed to do? Let you die out in the cold?”

“Why not? That hunter was going to let me die in the woods.” Viktor sat up straight, his hands resting on Yuuri’s hips now; holding him, but not so tightly that he couldn’t escape. When Viktor looked at him, with those blue eyes that are almost too perfect to be real, Yuuri found that he didn’t really want to. “The world isn’t kind to the weak, you know.” 

Yuuri swallowed. The crane was right about that much, at least.

“But _you_ were kind to me.” Viktor reached up, his fingers toying with Yuuri’s hair. At first, his expression became curious, but as that slowly melted into another playful smile, Yuuri realized that the other man had probably never felt human hair before. He seemed so confident, but intimacy must have been just as unfamiliar to him as it was to Yuuri. “I want to be kind to you, Yuuri, I want to give you everything you’ve given me and more. Please, give me a chance?”

He didn’t want to say no, Yuuri realized, his heart thumping loudly in his ears as he mulled over the proposition. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to say _yes_ , exactly, but for some reason, he couldn’t bear the thought of breaking the other young man’s heart. He looked so vulnerable - he was so vulnerable, completely dependent on Yuuri and the hospitality of his family to stay alive. Where else could someone like Viktor go?  

Besides, Yuuri thought, looking the man in front of him up and down, Viktor was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. He’d have to be crazy, to turn him down. Winter was always cold and long and lonely in Hasetsu, but maybe it didn’t have to be. 

“O-okay.” Yuuri hated how uneven his voice sounded, how it revealed just how uncertain he really felt. Viktor, however, either did not notice, or did not care; his face broke out into the widest, sweetest grin Yuuri had ever seen, before he threw those long, strong arms around Yuuri again. 

“Oh, thank goodness!” Yuuri felt Viktor’s fingers stroking his hair as he held him close, Yuuri’s face pressed against his strong chest. “I was so worried, that you’d have a mate already. Were you just being picky?”

“Not exactly...” Yuuri’s voice was muffled, his face squished in Viktor’s embrace.

It didn’t seem to bother Viktor, though; Yuuri could feel him nuzzling his face against his hair. “I promise, Yuuri, I’ll be a good mate. I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.”

 

* * *

  

Viktor was still asleep, when Yuuri left for the pond the next morning. Yuuri’s mother asked about him, when Yuuri came downstairs for breakfast, wondered when he was coming down, if he would be joining Yuuri on his daily trip… Yuuri simply told her that he didn’t know, finished his meal quickly, and went on his way. 

He started to feel guilty, before he even arrived. Maybe he should have woken Viktor up. At the time, he justified it by telling himself that the other man probably needed all of the sleep he could get. Who knew how long he was out there, naked in the cold? And he did look like he was sleeping soundly, even after Yuuri wrestled his way out of his full-body embrace. 

But the further away he got from home, the more the regret sunk in. He had left Viktor sleeping in his bed alone on purpose. He knew it, there was no point in pretending otherwise. So much had happened so fast, and Yuuri’s mind hadn’t stopped spinning. He needed some time to himself, time alone, to process everything, to sort out his own feelings; something that didn’t always come easy. 

Besides, it was just for a few hours. Surely Viktor would be alright on his own? He had spent several days alone in the woods already. At least back at the Inn, Yuuri’s family would be around, to keep him company and take care of him. 

Oh no, Yuuri’s family. That was another problem altogether. Should he tell them, that Viktor was really the crane he had saved on his way home that night? Would they believe him, even if he did? Would they think Viktor was crazy, if he told them while Yuuri was away? 

Should he tell them that they were… together? _Were_ they together? Yuuri had accepted the proposition, and the thought brought some warmth back to his cheeks. Everything happened so fast, and Yuuri had promised himself away to a complete stranger, without really thinking about it. But at the time, with the way Viktor looked at him… _no_ just didn’t seem like an answer he could give.  

The whole thing seemed so ridiculous, and Yuuri was still struggling to wrap his mind around it. Yuuri was thankful, when he saw the pond appear on the horizon. When he was skating, he wouldn’t have to think about it. Yuuri ran the rest of the way, and had his skates on in what had to be record time. 

Normally, Yuuri would skate to forget. While he was gliding on the ice, he could forget about almost anything. How hungry he was, how tired he was, how lost and aimless he felt, how hopeless life in Hasetsu was becoming. All of it. He could make all of it disappear for a few hours. 

But Viktor didn’t leave his mind once. When the cold wind touched his cheeks, it reminded him of how Viktor’s frozen hands felt on his face the night before, how his chilled feet felt pressed against Yuuri’s body all night, struggling to stay warm. His spins reminded him of the way Viktor’s long, silver hair was curled around him as he slept, when Yuuri looked back one last time before shutting the door behind him. 

Even on his walk back - much sooner than he would normally head back to town; Yuuri’s mind quickly became too restless to focus on skating, and after falling about six times, he decided to cut his losses and return to town - Yuuri thought about the crane. About how Viktor’s arrival had provided closure, but also a score of new questions and emotions that the young man wasn’t prepared for. 

His _mate_. It wasn’t word most people would use for such a relationship. But then again, Viktor wasn’t most people. Which called into question what he meant. Was he looking for friendship? Romance? Something sexual?  

Was _Yuuri_ looking for any of those things? He wasn’t so far past the typical marrying age that he considered himself hopeless, but he wasn’t exactly a youth in his prime, either. His family wasn’t wealthy, but they weren’t completely destitute, either. But it was Mari who was set to inherit the Yuu-topia inn from their parents, not Yuuri. What kind of future could he provide for Viktor? Was he cut out to be anyone’s mate? Husband?  

Did Yuuri _want_ to be anyone’s husband? Viktor was handsome enough, sure, and he seemed nice - if a bit immature, but that was likely due to changing into a completely different species - but were they suited for each other, really? Viktor had already made a lifetime commitment - verbally, at least - but Yuuri wasn’t so sure if he could make such a vow to someone who was a complete stranger. 

“Yuuri!” The familiar voice jarred him out of his own thoughts, and only then did Yuuri realize he was already halfway through town. Despite the friendly greeting, that deep, rough voice still made Yuuri tense up from time to time. “Yuuri!” 

Takeshi Nishigori, former schoolyard bully, now longtime friend. Some of Yuuri’s earliest memories were of him, though none of them were particularly pleasant. Takeshi would tease Yuuri about his size, the way he dressed, about how his only friend was a girl… But somewhere along the line, that changed. It took the older boy a while, but eventually he warmed up to Yuuri. 

Yuuri always wondered if the reason the older boy warmed up to him was because a lot of the other children moved away, leaving him with fewer options for friends. But if that meant he wasn’t being picked on, he wasn’t going to complain too much. Or even bring it up at all. Besides, as an adult, he had proved to be a loyal friend. 

“Hello, Nishigori, it’s been a while-” 

“It’s been too damn long!” The bigger man roughly rubbed his hand through Yuuri’s hair, disheveling it even more than it was from a day of skating, before finally letting go. “You should come around more often! Yuuko and the kids miss you. Hell, I miss you, too. It’s tough being the only man at home,” 

“I’m sorry.” Really, he was. During warmer, more prosperous seasons, Yuuri would visit his childhood friends often, even if the couple’s three children - triplets, born that summer - left Yuuri feeling like a bit of a sixth wheel; he knew next to nothing about infant care, and they seemed to need almost constant attention from one or both parents. 

During the winter, however… Shorter days only allowed him so much time to skate, and once spring rolled around again, the ice would melt, leaving him with more free time and nothing to fill it with. That was when he tended to be at his most social. 

“Hey, don’t worry it too much. Minako told us about your new... _guest_ ; sounds like you’ve been busy.” 

“New guest?” It was clear who Nishigori was talking about, and sure, Minako seemed to know everyone in Hasetsu, and all of their business. But how had she found out about Viktor so quickly? “Wait-” 

“She was over at your place for a drink earlier,” He shrugged, tugging his winter cap down, in an attempt to cover his rather large ears. “Guess he really misses you. Wouldn’t shut up about you, even. Hopefully Minako didn’t tell any embarrassing stories. She’s known you for your entire life, right? Bet she’s got plenty of ‘em.” 

“Yeah, right…” Yuuri buried his face in his hands, groaning. He could imagine a dozen different ways that conversation went, and none of them were particularly good. From Minako revealing all of his most embarrassing moments to Viktor, to Viktor… well, telling the _truth._  

“Woah, hey, it’s nothing to worry about,” he said, gently slapping Yuuri on the shoulder. Gently by his standards, anyway. “Everyone’s got embarrassing childhood stories. My mom goes blabbing mine around town all the time.” 

“It isn’t just that…” Yuuri trailed off. _Embarrassing_ was one thing, but this? This was in a league of its own. “There's… Well, lets just say, the situation is a lot more complicated than you think.” 

Takeshi’s eyebrows migrated upwards in suspicion, “Is that so? Well, if that’s the case, I’m afraid you have no choice.” 

“No choice?”

“You’re coming to my place for dinner tonight!” He draped his big, muscular arm across Yuuri’s shoulder; he couldn’t tell if that was Nishigori’s way of telling him he really didn’t have any say in the matter, or if he was simply being friendly. “You can tell us all about it.” 

Yuuri adjusted his glasses with a quiet gulp. Would they even believe him, if he told the truth? “I don’t know-” 

“C’mon, Katsuki. We’re your best friends, right?” 

“Well, of course-” 

“So you should talk to us! Clearly… whatever this is about is bugging you. Your always get that same look on your face, when you’re thinking too hard. You shouldn’t have to deal with all that alone, y’know?” 

Yuuri took a few moments to mull that over. He wasn’t _wrong_ , exactly, but he also had no way of knowing about the unbelievable story Yuuri had to tell. Would he believe Yuuri, if he told the truth? Would Yuuko believe him? It was hard to say. 

But still, Yuuri found himself nodding slowly in agreement. He still wasn’t sure just how much he would tell them, but if nothing else, it would keep him away from the inn for a bit longer. Give him some more time to sort out his own feelings. 

That earned him a smile from Nishigori. “Well, c’mon! Yuuko’s probably wondering what the hell’s taking me so long. Man, she’s going to be surprised to see you…”

 

* * *

 

Yuuko was surprised, but very happy, to see Yuuri. He returned her very earnest embrace when she greeted him at the door. 

He couldn’t help noticing how thin she felt. The desolation of winter had reached the Nishigori household as well, it seemed. Dinner was a very thin vegetable soup, and though Yuuko insisted Yuuri could eat his fill, and Yuuri himself was still hungry after his first portion, he declined the offer of seconds. 

Yuuri told the couple about Viktor, leaving out a few minor details. Yuuri explained that he helped the stranger on the road, and that he turned up at his family’s inn later on, naked and with no explanation as to how that happened. He told them about his family taking Viktor in, about his strange mannerisms, how he insisted on sharing Yuuri’s room and bed. He told them about everything, except the crane. 

Yuuko finished off her tea, sitting the cup down on the table with a pointed sigh. “I suppose there’s a logical explanation for everything, isn’t there?” 

Her husband laughed, “What were you expecting?” 

“I don’t know,” she admitted, with another sigh. “The way Minako talked about it, a handsome stranger showing up on your doorstep out of nowhere, professing his love for you… It sounded like something out of a fairytale. I guess i was just hoping for something a little more magical.” 

“Aww, I know you were, honey,” Takeshi sounded almost as disappointed as she was, and he leaned over to kiss her cheek. If Yuuri didn’t know any better, he would think he was hoping for something magical, too. “But there hasn’t been magic around Hasetsu in… What, almost two or three hundred years? Sometimes I think it’s something grownups just made up, to give kids something to daydream about, y’know? Take their minds off of more serious problems.” 

“Hmm, I guess you’re right,” she said, with a soft smile. “But, love’s it’s own sort of magic, isn’t it Yuuri?” 

Yuuri tugged at the collar of his shirt. “Well, he never said he loved me, exactly-” 

“He wants to spend the rest of his life with you,” Takeshi pointed out. 

Yuuko nodded, “Sounds like love to me!”

“Does it…?” It did, and Yuuri knew it did. But the shock of the situation still weighed heavily on his shoulders. His emotions were as disorienting as a winter storm. 

For the first time since he walked through the door, Yuuko frowned. “Yuuri, you don’t seem happy about all of this. What’s on your mind?” 

“Why would I be happy?” Yuuri asked, and now that he began expressing his thoughts aloud, he couldn’t stop his mouth from continuing. “This isn’t how I expected this to go!” 

“Well, how did you expect it to go?” Yuuko placed a gentle hand on his knee. Her question was both empathetic, and genuinely curious. 

“I… don’t know,” Yuuri admitted. “Honestly, I was starting to think it wouldn’t. And I was alright with that. Not everyone has to get married, right? Plenty of people stay single. Minako did, and she seems perfectly happy that way.” 

She nodded, “You weren’t worried about being lonely?” 

“I guess, but… Well, I’ve got you two, and Mari, my parents, Minako… I don’t know. I guess I decided I could be content with that. I _am_ content with that. And now this… this stranger shows up, and…” 

“And?” The couple pressed, in unison, both of them leaning forward, eager to hear Yuuri’s answer. 

“And... I don’t know!” Yuuri’s fingers threaded through his own hair, tugging at it in frustration. He hated this. The uncertainty, not understanding his own wants and needs and feelings… He may have been lonely and melancholy before, but at least those were emotions he was familiar with. He knew how to deal with those. He could skate away those with no problem. 

But Viktor? Even skating hadn’t been enough to clear his mind. 

“Aww, Yuuri, that’s perfectly fine,” Yuuko said, her fingers rubbing small, slow circles over his kneecap. “Love is complicated, no one expects you to have it all sorted out right away. Just because Viktor fell in love at first sight, doesn’t mean you have to. You can take your time.” 

“Yeah, she’s right, as usual.” Takeshi scooted closer to his wife. The look on his face could only be described as one of complete adoration. It looked a bit out of place, with his hard, strong facial features, but Yuuri still liked seeing his friend smile like that. “You’ve always been a late bloomer.”

Yuuri rolled his eyes, “Thanks, Nishigori.” 

“Hey, I didn’t say it was a _bad_ thing! All I’m trying to get at is, this is just how you are. And if that guy - Viktor or whatever - really likes you as much as he says he does, he’ll wait. He’ll have to get used to it anyway, if he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. And if he doesn’t wait, well… You’ll know he wasn’t serious about it, I guess.” 

“That’s one way of looking at it…” Yuuri wasn’t sure if thinking about it on those terms brought him any comfort, but it was better than the complete uncertainty he felt before. At least this uncertainty left Yuuri with a few alternatives, as to how events would play out for him and his new… partner.

 

* * *

 

It was well past midnight, when Yuuri left the Nishigori house, and Yuuri himself was a bit past tipsy. Mari warned him that he was in for an earful, when he stumbled through the front door, and Yuuri assumed she meant from their mother, in the morning, for not telling her he was going elsewhere for dinner, and leaving her to wonder if her son had fallen victim to the bandits on the road home. 

What Mari actually meant became clear, when Yuuri entered his bedroom. As soon as the door was shut behind him, the person in his bed sat straight up, icy blue eyes glaring at him halfheartedly in the moonlight. 

Oh, right. Viktor was waiting on him, too. Half way through his fourth glass of wine, Yuuri had all but forgotten what was waiting for him at home. 

“Yuuri,” the long haired man practically whined, nearly tripping on the blanket as he got out of bed, rushing over to hug Yuuri. Even in the dimly lit room, Yuuri could tell he was, once again, completely naked. “Why were you gone for so long? I was so worried that you would never come back!” 

“Where are your clothes?” 

“You answer my question first!” 

“I’m… sorry,” Yuuri sighed. He meant it, too. He really hadn’t put much thought into how worried Viktor would be, if he didn’t come home. “I had dinner with some friends, and we got to talking, you know how it goes.” 

“Well… no, I don’t,” Viktor admitted, standing up straight, with an awkward grin. He kept his large hands planted firmly on Yuuri’s hips. “But, if you’re safe... I guess it's all fine, isn't it?” 

Yuuri stared up at him. Did cranes not have friends? Yuuri was under the impression that they traveled in flocks, but now that he thought about it, that was just an assumption. Were they solitary animals? Or was Viktor just not well liked? He mentioned, the night before, that he didn’t have a mate. Was it possible that he was just as lonely as Yuuri was? 

Yuuri shook his head; those were more complicated questions that could be put off for a little bit longer. “Viktor, where are your clothes?” 

Viktor looked down at himself and shrugged, “They’re not very comfortable to sleep in. I like feeling the blanket against my skin instead, it’s _so_ soft! And…” One of his hands moved upward, gently touching Yuuri’s arm in slow, up and down motions. Yuuri shivered. “I’d like to feel you, too, Yuuri.” 

“Ah, well…” Yuuri swallowed. Suddenly, his own clothes felt too warm and too tight. “I’ll probably keep mine on, if it’s all the same to you. Um, my clothes, that is. I think I’d get cold otherwise.” 

He shook his head. “I don’t care, if I get to be close to you.” 

With one last hug, Viktor returned to bed, while Yuuri changed into his nightclothes. He kept his back turned towards the other man, but that didn’t make him any less aware of how he was being watched. 

“Mari said you were at the pond in the woods today,” Viktor said, lifting the blankets - all three layers - so that Yuuri could join him. “Is that where you were, the day you found me?”

Yuuri had to steady himself - mentally and physically - before he got into bed. Into his _own bed_. It all still seemed so overwhelming, even an entire day of skating in solitude hadn’t brought him any peace. Climbing into bed with a naked man felt… _final_. The night before, Yuuri had halfheartedly agreed, verbally, to be Viktor’s… mate, his lover- 

 _Lover._  That was the word, that Yuuri had spent his entire day searching for. He had never had one before, but as he climbed into the bed and settled in next to Viktor, Yuuri knew that was exactly what this was. 

It… didn’t feel nearly as apprehensive as he expected to, even as Viktor draped the covers over the both of them, and wrapped his arms and legs tightly around Yuuri’s body. Maybe he was genuinely comforted by the other man’s presence, or maybe it was simply the comfort of knowing a decision - right or wrong - had been made. 

Yuuri wasn’t sure, but at the very least, he appreciated the fact that his sheets were already warm. “Yes. I go there every day, when it’s this cold.” 

Viktor giggled, “You can’t go swimming or fishing, when the pond is frozen. Why do you still go there?” 

“So I can skate.” 

“Skate?”

“It’s… kind of like dancing, but on ice.” Even as he spoke the words, Yuuri knew how terrible his explanation was. “You wear special shoes-” 

“Blah, I hate shoes,” Viktor pouted. “I don’t see how you humans can wear those things all the time!” 

Yuuri shook his head, “I guess the whole thing sounds… weird, until you see it.” 

“Can I see?” Yuuri felt Viktor shifting closer, until his body was pressed up against Yuuri’s. “Can I watch you skate? Please?” 

Yuuri paused. Maybe it was unusual, to think sharing the pond felt more intimate than sharing his bed. For years, skating had been his outlet. Something special, that he did only for himself. He didn’t skate to impress anyone, he skated because it made him happy. 

“Well… I don’t see why not.” 

Yuuri heard a happy laugh coming from Viktor, before he was being hugged so tightly that he almost couldn’t breathe. “And I’ll get to spend the whole day with you, right?” 

“Y-yeah,” Yuuri somehow managed to choke out. “Of course.” 

“A whole day, alone with my Yuuri,” Viktor sighed, elated and content, his long fingers gently petting Yuuri’s messy black hair. “It sounds like a dream come true.”

 

* * *

 

The reality of bringing Viktor along on his daily trip turned out to be something more akin to a nightmare. The hike to the pond was not a short one, and the crane did nothing but complain as they walked through the woods. “ _I’m tired_ ”, “ _my feet hurt_ ”, “ _Yuuri, it’s so cold!_ ”, over and over again. In Viktor’s defense, he had joined Yuuri on the coldest winter day so far that year, but that knowledge did nothing to alleviate Yuuri’s annoyance. 

“How can you walk in those?” Viktor asked, watching with absolute wonder as he watched Yuuri lace up his skates. 

“I don’t have to walk-” Yuuri pulled the laces of his skate tight, before knotting them. Short, simple answers would get him out onto the ice faster. Even if he was being watched, he could still relax. Or, so he told himself. “I have to skate. You’ll see.” 

Viktor set himself up on the bank, with a blanket spread out for him to sit on. By Yuuri’s estimation, that was the spot where he would get the most sun, but judging by the cloudy sky and the windy air, he didn’t know if that would actually help keep him warm. 

Yuuri took to the ice as soon as both skates were tied. At first, he glided around slowly, getting used to the way his body needed to move on the ice, as opposed to how he moved on solid ground, with his heavy winter boots. They kept his feet much warmer, but didn’t provide any of the grace Yuuri had when he skated. 

Once he felt comfortable, Yuuri began skating in more complicated patterns. He skated backwards, performed little spins and twirls, moved his arms and hands as if he were telling a story. A story about what, he wasn’t quite sure, but the occasional “ _Ohhh_!” or “ _Amazing_!” from the edge of the pond told him that it was an entertaining one. 

Yuuri remembered how he skated when he was thinking about Viktor - after he found the crane in the woods. He tried his best to imitate those movements, but with his inspiration watching so closely, Yuuri couldn’t help feeling clumsy and dull in comparison. 

That didn’t stop Viktor from clapping wildly, when he returned to the bank for lunch. 

“Yuuri, that was beautiful!” His smile - one of complete adoration - looked all the more endearing when his cheeks were flushed from the cold. “I can see why you like to come up here so much.” 

Yuuri rubbed his hands over his cold, sock-covered feet. Blushing hardly warmed his face up. “My mom took me to see a show with a bunch of ice skaters in the big city, once, when I was very young. I’ve been obsessed with them ever since. She bought me my first pair of skates that day, too, because she knew I wouldn’t shut up about it until I could skate for myself.” 

“Bought…” Viktor repeated the word, as if it were completely foreign. It must have been; cranes didn't have money. “Could she… do that for me, too?” 

“Buy you a pair of skates, you mean?” 

He nodded eagerly, “Mhm! I want to skate like you, Yuuri. You’ll teach me, won’t you? I’m much more graceful than you are, I bet I’ll be very good at it.” 

Yuuri sighed, deciding to ignore that bit of criticism, even if it did sting a little. “It’s not that easy.” 

“Maybe it won’t be _easy_ , but I’ll practice really hard-”

“No,” Yuuri shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. Ice skates aren’t cheap, and, well… My family doesn’t have a lot of money right now.” 

“Money?” 

Yuuri nodded. “We make our living running our inn. When the weather’s nice, all of those empty rooms are full of travelers, who pay us money to stay there. That’s how we buy all of our food, clothes-” 

“And your ice skates.” 

Yuuri couldn’t help laughing. Apparently, Viktor was a bit one-track minded. Maybe they had more in common than he thought? “Well… Yes, those too.” 

“So in the summer, when more people come, will your mother buy me skates?” 

“Probably, if you asked.” She might be a bit hesitant, considering the fact that the family’s business wasn’t exactly booming, even in the busy season. But Yuuri had seen Viktor pout, and he knew his mother well; she wouldn’t be able to say no to that face if her life depended on it. “She seems to like you a lot.” 

Viktor’s smile grew - but faded quickly. “Oh, but the ice will be melted by then…” 

Yuuri already hated seeing that expression on Viktor’s face. It made his chest feel heavy, almost broken… Was it heartbreak? Was he already so endeared to the other man that his simple tragedy could cause him to have such a reaction? 

Apparently so, because when Yuuri saw those beautiful blue eyes start to tear up, he couldn’t stop himself from moving closer, wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulder. Empathy had never been Yuuri’s strong suit, but he felt compelled to try. 

“Please don’t cry…” Yuuri didn’t want to think about what that would do to _him_ , if a frown was enough to make Yuuri’s mood plummet so quickly. “I would lend you my skates, but Mari already told me that you couldn’t fit into my old boots; there’s no way these would fit you. Winter always comes back around. Next year, you’ll have your own skates, and I’ll teach you everything I know.” 

Viktor looked up at him, but the words that came out of his mouth were not the ones Yuuri was expecting. “Next year?” 

 _Next year_. Without realizing it, Yuuri had made yet another commitment to this strange man that he wasn’t sure he was ready for, let alone if he could keep it. But there was something about that hopeful smile that made him want to. 

He nodded firmly. “Next year.”

 

* * *

 

If the walk to the pond that morning had been a nightmare, going to bed with Viktor that night was hell on earth. 

“Yuuri,” he whispered into Yuuri’s ear, his tone needy. “Yuuri.” 

Yuuri rubbed at his eyes. This was the third time Viktor had woken him up; once when he needed to relieve himself, but was too afraid to make the long walk down the hallway to the bathroom alone, and then again when he wanted to complain about being cold. 

“What is it, Viktor?” 

“I’m hungry.” Judging by the rather loud grumble from Viktor’s stomach that followed shortly after his complaint, almost as if he had cued it himself. “All we had for dinner tonight was rice.” 

“I’m hungry too,” Yuuri admitted, shifting under the blankets until they were facing each other. 

“Then we should get something else to eat. Remember when I arrived, we had that delicious katsudon? We should have that every day, it was so delicious.” 

Yuuri groaned, his own stomach growling its own needy response. Katsudon at every meal was Yuuri’s ideal, but… “We can’t do that, Viktor.” 

“Why not? It was so wonderful, your whole family loved it-” 

“We can’t afford it,” Yuuri said, before he could get any further. If for no other reason than thinking about his favorite meal was only making his own hunger pains even worse. “I don’t think we have any pork left, until the farmers and merchants come back in the spring.” 

“Can’t afford it?” 

“Yes.” 

“Like my skates?”

Yuuri didn’t even have to see Viktor’s face. He recognized that tone, and could easily remember that devastated expression from earlier that day. Once again, his heart felt heavy. “Yes, like your skates.” 

“I see…” Viktor pulled Yuuri closer, his chin resting on Yuuri’s head. “Is there anything that can be done about it? That I can do?” 

Yuuri had never really… cuddled before. Not as an adult, anyway. He felt awkward, at first, trying to find a comfortable position. But once his head found a resting place on Viktor’s shoulder, and his arm wound tightly around his body, and Viktor tangled his long, thin legs in between Yuuri’s… It was like two puzzle pieces clicking together.

“I don’t think there is,” he answered honestly, rather than create any false sense of hope that he knew would be crushed quickly. Viktor seemed so sensitive; setting him up to be let down seemed like a terrible idea. “It’s not like we have any goods to sell, and even if we did, there are only a few shops in town who would buy it. It’s like I told you before, all of our money comes from this inn.” 

“Oh…” 

“It’s not as hopeless as it sounds,” Yuuri said, trying to convince himself almost as much as he was trying to convince Viktor. “You’ll see. I know it’s hard to imagine it now, but come springtime, this place will be full of people. And we’ll have plenty of money for katsudon and skates, and anything else we want.” 

“Really?” Viktor’s tone betrayed the fact that he wasn’t sure if he believed Yuuri. Maybe he wasn’t as naive as Yuuri thought? 

“Well… We’ll be able to eat more than just rice every night, at least,” Yuuri forced a laugh as he hug him one last time. “It’s no use worrying about it tonight, Viktor. You should try to get some sleep.” 

That way of thinking had never, not even once, helped Yuuri worry any less about _anything_ , but maybe it worked for Viktor; he didn’t say another word, and soon his breathing became slow and steady as he drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Yuuri was surprised to find that Viktor didn’t want to join him at the pond. Sure, it had to be boring, sitting on the sidelines watching Yuuri skate for hours, but he seemed to enjoy himself. Not to mention the fact that up until that morning, he had yet to willingly part ways with Yuuri since he found Viktor half-frozen on his doorstep. 

“You go, have your fun, Yuuri,” Viktor said, his playful wink making Yuuri’s heart jump. “It’s nothing you need to worry over, I promise. You’ll see me again when you get home tonight.” 

Yuuri didn’t see Viktor again until it was time to go to sleep for the evening. He was absent from the dinner table, and the only explanation Yuuri’s parents had to offer was that he was busy. That was hardly enough to settle Yuuri’s curiosity, let alone his anxiety. 

“Did you skip dinner?” That possibility weighed heavily on Yuuri’s mind. Viktor’s hunger had been a cause for great concern, the night before. It was hard to imagine him magically getting over it. 

It was hard to imagine a crane magically turning into a man, too; Yuuri reminded himself that, when it came to Viktor, there was always something more complicated going on. 

He shook his head. “Mari brought my rice to me, in my room. But I appreciate you worrying about me, my Yuuri; that’s very sweet of you.” 

“Your room?” Was Viktor going back to sleeping on his own? They had shared Yuuri’s bed for less than a week, and already the thought of going to sleep alone seemed… terrible. Despite all of the minor discomforts that came along with having Viktor in his bed, Yuuri had already grown used to the way the other man’s body felt against his, how much warmer it was when they slept together. Yuuri fell asleep quicker, and seemed to sleep more soundly, with Viktor next to him. 

He nodded, “Mhm! Since I’m sleeping with you, I thought I could use my room for… something else. Toshiya said he didn’t mind, since no one else needs it.” 

“Something else…?” Yuuri didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t like the sound of anything he didn’t understand. “What are you up to, exactly?” 

“I guess I could tell you…” Viktor tapped his chin playfully a few times. “But, I think it will be more fun if I surprise you.”

“Is it…” Yuuri wasn’t quite sure how he wanted to ask his question. His hands tried to form the words for him, but the vague gestures he could come up with didn’t seem like they meant anything, either. 

Viktor, however, seemed to know exactly what they meant. “Magic?” 

Yuuri nodded. 

“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” Viktor said, and when he leaned closer, Yuuri was so sure that he was going to kiss him. Instead his hand ruffled Yuuri’s hair, and he laughed, as if that were some great joke he had been holding in all night. “You should try to get some sleep, my Yuuri.”

 

* * *

 

Yuuri knew that not worrying was a task far easier said than done, and that proved to be especially true when Viktor locked himself up in his private room again the next day. And the day after that. And every day for the next week. 

“Do you have any idea what he’s up to in there?” Yuuri asked his older sister, one afternoon. The snow outside was heavy enough to deter him from taking his usual trip. In winters gone by, he might have attempted it anyway, but that, on top of worrying about Viktor… Yuuri knew he wouldn’t enjoy himself, even if he could make it all the way out to the pond. 

“Spinning,” Mari replied, with a shrug. 

“Spinning?” 

“You know, thread. Fabric. Weaving? I’m not really sure what to call it,” Her expression became more twisted and confused, the more words she tried to explain, and eventually she gave up, shaking her head. “It’s something like that, I think, but he wouldn’t let me watch. I saw him setting up that old loom, the one Dad keeps in the storage room.” 

“The one that belonged to grandma?” By the time Yuuri was born, his grandmother had long lost the ability to use it. His only memories of the large, wooden contraption were of it sitting in the large storage room, with all of the other ancient Katsuki family heirlooms that had no practical use, but too much sentimental value to simply be thrown out. His parents were always saying that, someday, that room needed to be organized, and some of those goods sold off or donated to people who would actually _use_ them, but it never happened. All of that stuff almost felt like part of the family, and for the first time in Yuuri's life, his father's assertion that " _it might be useful someday_ " had come true.

Again, Mari shrugged. “I guess. I don’t even know how he found it, unless he’s been snooping around. Not that it really matters,” Mari elbowed her brother in the side, snickering. “He’s basically part of the family now, right? And all that junk belongs to all of us.” 

“I don’t know about all of that…” Yuuri felt his ears growing redder and redder by the second. It was silly, to assume his family - hell, forget his family, _the whole town_ \- wouldn’t talk, about what was going on between Yuuri and Viktor. What they were saying, exactly, Yuuri could only guess at. 

“He sleeps in your bed, doesn’t he?” Mari asked, her tone a bit more serious now. 

“Well, _yeah_ , but-” 

“I think he loves you.” 

“I…” Yuuri gulped, glancing down the hall, his eyes fixated on Viktor’s room. It sounded so… quiet. Yuuri assumed the loom would make more noise. “I think he loves me, too.” 

Of course, Mari wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “Do you love him?” 

Yuuri looked back at that door. What was that silly bird up to? What was he making, that took all day and all night for so long? 

Yuuri missed him, he realized. Their affair, if it could even be called that, had been going on for such a short time, but Yuuri already missed his presence at his side. He missed the sound of his voice, even when he was whining, the sometimes not quite wanted physical affection, his sense of wonder about the new, human world around him. Yuuri missed not feeling so alone. 

“I… I think it’s too soon to say,” Yuuri answered, honestly. “But… I might.”

 

* * *

 

Over the next week, Viktor accompanied Yuuri to the pond twice. Both times, Yuuri was constantly aware that he was being watched; at first, that made him nervous, and his movements were noticeably more clumsy. After a few hours, however, he came to enjoy skating in front of his small audience. Every stunned gasp, every clap, every cheer, made him all the more confident in his abilities. Yuuri was no professional ice dancer, but to Viktor, it seemed, he might as well be. 

Every other day, Viktor secluded himself in his private room, usually waking up well before Yuuri, not to be seen again until dinner. Yuuri asked him once again what he was working on, but Viktor was just as cryptic as he was the first time. 

Yuuri never bothered asking again, after that. He began to wonder if Viktor was even making anything at all.

Those suspicions were laid to rest at the end of the second week, when Viktor came down to dinner with a large bundle of deep red fabric. He dropped it on the table for the family to see, nearly knocking over several cups of tea. 

Yuuri’s father adjusted his glasses, as if he were examining it very carefully. Yuuri wasn’t fooled, though; he knew his father knew next to nothing about textiles. “So, this is what you’ve been working on?” 

Viktor nodded, his smile wide with self-pride. “I’ve made so much already. Go on, feel it!” 

Yuuri hesitated; it almost felt wrong, to touch something that looked so flawless. Surely he would get it dirty… 

Mari had no such reservations. She grabbed a fist full of the red cloth, thoughtfully running it through her fingers “It’s so soft! What’s it made out of?” 

“Ah, that’s my secret!” Viktor winked. “But it’s durable - it will never tear, unless you cut it with the sharpest shears. And it will keep you warm at night, too. Warmer than wool, or anything else. But it's not heavy, it won't weigh you down.” 

“It’s a lot less itchy than wool, that’s for sure…” Mari said, tugging on the piece of cloth, so she could rub it against Yuuri’s arms. “Come on, Yuuri, feel it.” 

Yuuri finally allowed himself to touch it, his hands gently touching the cloth his sister offered to him. She was right; the only thing Yuuri could think of that felt softer was Viktor’s fabric was his hair, or maybe his skin. 

Yuuri kept that thought to himself. 

“Viktor, this really is incredible,” Hiroko Katsuki said, with all the pride of a doting mother. A doting mother whose child was actually deserving of the praise. “But what are you planning to do with all of this?” 

“Well!” Viktor stood up straight again, hands on his hips. “I’ve already turned some of this fabric into blankets. One for Hiroko and Toshiya, one for Mari, and one for Yuuri and myself.” He cocked his head to the side so he could wink again, this time at Yuuri. His entire face felt warm enough to melt away anything winter had to offer. “The rest, we can sell! And then we can afford more pork, or whatever we want!” 

Mari snorted, “You’d really sell this, and use the money to buy pork?”

 _But what about your ice skates?_ Yuuri wondered, but again, he kept his mouth shut. 

“I’ll buy whatever you want! Anything! All of this is to show my gratitude to Yuuri, and to all of you, for saving me and giving me a new life here.” 

Yuuri found himself laughing, at that. Maybe he hadn’t done the best job of explaining how money worked... 

“And I can make more, too,” Viktor added. “I can make as much as you want me to. But, I do have some rules that _must_ be followed, if you want me to keep making my special cloth.” 

“What kind of rules…?” Yuuri asked skeptically. How much more of this cloth could Viktor possibly produce? Where were his supplies coming from? 

Viktor’s smile only grew. He was enjoying this, Yuuri realized. “The first rule is, not to ask me where the fabric comes from, or what it’s made out of. I can handle all of that myself, so you don’t need to concern yourselves with it.” 

Well, so much for Yuuri’s curiosity about _that_.

“Rule number two,” he continued. “I am not to be disturbed, while I’m weaving. If I am in my room, the door is to remain shut. No matter what, you cannot open it. This is the most important rule of all, alright?” 

“Hmm, you’re being awful secretive about this, Viktor…” Toshiya said, but once again, Yuuri wasn’t fooled. He knew his father would agree; he hadn’t taken his eyes off of the cloth once, even while Viktor was talking. He could see the possibilities in it; a financially stable future for his family. It was hard to imagine him turning down such an offer. 

“Ah, c’mon Dad, what’s the harm in it?” Mari asked. “If it’ll earn us some extra money, it couldn’t hurt. It’s not like we were using that room much, anyway.” 

Hiroko nodded. “I think it’s a good idea. I’ll agree to those rules. It’s only fair, since you’re being so generous” 

“What? No-” It was Viktor’s turn, at last, to be flustered. “You’re the ones who took me in. You’ve invited me into your home, you saved my life- This is the least I could do to repay you. You’ve all sacrificed so much for me, I just wanted to do the same for you.” 

“Oh, well when you put it like that,” Toshiya said. “How could I possibly say no?”

Yuuri rolled his eyes. Of course.

“Yuuri?” Viktor finally turned his attention to him, his eyes bright and questioning. “Is that alright with you?”

It… _wasn’t_ , really. Yuuri didn’t like secrets. He didn’t like not knowing. He wanted to know what sort of magic Viktor was getting up to in that room - because there really was no other explanation for it, other than magic.  

But it also didn’t feel like he had any say in the matter, either. 

“I’ll respect your wishes.” 

Viktor beamed, throwing himself at Yuuri, arms spread, into a hug that nearly knocked Yuuri over completely. He felt Viktor nuzzling his cold nose against Yuuri’s neck, and even as his family laughed and giggled at the display of affection, he could hear Viktor whispering into his ear 

“You don’t need to worry, my love. I’ll take care of you, from here on out."

* * *

 

Instead of changing into his pajamas and joining Viktor in bed after dinner, Yuuri laced up his boots and prepared to head into town. 

Viktor, dressed in his loose-fitted robe (quite begrudgingly, as usual, but Yuuri always insisted he dress himself, if he wanted to leave Yuuri’s bedroom), followed him as far as the front door. He had been told about a dozen times that Yuuri wanted to go alone, but clearly, he didn’t like that answer. 

Yuuri almost pointed out how what he was doing was no worse than Viktor locking himself up for hours on end, day after day, but he was determined not to sour the mood.

“Wait here,” he said instead. “I promise I’ll be back soon. If you fall asleep, I’ll just show you in the morning” 

“Where are you going?” 

“I want to surprise you, just like you surprised me.” Yuuri explained. Normally, he preferred not to be secretive, but after Viktor had put him through all of that waiting… Well, Yuuri had a stubborn streak of his own, and it was time for a little payback. 

Viktor wouldn’t have to wait nearly as long to have his curiosity satiated. Yuuri’s destination that night - after he went around the block once or twice, to make sure Viktor wasn’t following after him - was about a five minute walk from their house, even with the bundle of fabric strapped to his back. 

Yuuri was only half surprised, to find Minako loitering around her store long after she should have closed up shop and gone to bed. As winter drew to a close, people became more and more desperate, as their food quickly ran out. Theft wasn’t common, but not unheard of, and the only way to protect her shop was to do it herself, in person. Yuuri was even less surprised when he smelled alcohol on her breath. 

Minako had been a lifelong friend of Yuuri’s mother, and therefore a lifelong friend to Yuuri and Mari as well. At one point, she had been the schoolteacher for all of the children in Hasetsu, but now that most of the children had moved away or grown up, she had taken to managing a general store to make ends meet. She carried food, alcohol, and most basic needs, but had amassed an… interesting collection of other goods, over the years. 

“Yuuri?” Even from feet away, Yuuri could smell the alcohol; it was enough to make him feel a bit dizzy. Just how much had she been drinking? “What on - _hic_ \- What on earth are you doing here so late?” 

“I need to sell you something.” 

She laughed, leaning on her counter for support. “Yuuri, the store closed hours ago! All of the money’s in the safe.” 

“Well… Can’t you open it?” Yuuri asked. “Please? Just this once? It’s very important.” 

“I’m sorry, Yuuri. Once I start drinking, I forget the combination... That’s probably for my own good, honestly.” 

“Well… How about a trade? I was going to turn around and buy something from you, anyway.”

“Sure,” Minako shrugged, continuing to lean on the counter as she hopped around it, assuming the position of store owner. “What do you want to trade for?” 

“I have…” Yuuri paused, unwrapping the fabric and placing it on the table, with much more care than Viktor took when he presented his handy work to the Katsuki family. “This. It’s cloth, that Viktor made. He says it’s sturdy and warm.” 

“Hmmmmmmm…” Minako ran her long, delicate fingers over it. Yuuri could tell she was only giving it a passing glance; even if she wasn’t, he was confident that Viktor’s cloth could pass even her usual, sober inspection. “Looks nice. What do you want?” 

Yuuri, for what felt like the first time since Viktor showed up on his doorstep, knew exactly what he wanted. The pair of ice skates had been hanging in Makoto’s shop for years now. Yuuri had tried them on himself, but they were too big for him. For Viktor, they would probably be perfect, if a bit dusty. 

Yuuri pointed, “Those, please.” 

Minako agreed, and while it crossed Yuuri’s mind that a few yards of what had to be magic fabric might be worth more than a single, used pair of skates, he knew that the look on Viktor’s face when he saw them would be worth more than the difference in price.  

Yuuri thanked the store owner, and Minako blew a kiss in his direction as she waved, shouting her goodbyes loud enough to wake up the entire block. Yuuri was thankful to be out of sight, before anyone gathered up enough courage to confront her about it. 

He thought Viktor might be sleeping, when he returned, so he opened the door slowly, tiptoeing into the room, only to find him sitting up in bed, looking out the window with a listless expression. Yuuri cleared his throat, to get his attention. 

His face lit up, the moment he saw Yuuri, and the smaller man was soon enveloped in one of those powerful hugs that he was starting to grow used to. This time, Yuuri returned the embrace, but only for a moment. When he pulled away quickly, Viktor looked confused, but when he showed Viktor the skates- 

Yuuri expected another hug. That was the reaction he had anticipated, the entire walk home. Instead, Viktor clasped his hands over his mouth, staring at Yuuri with wide, blue eyes. In the clear, unusually bright moonlight, Yuuri could see that Viktor was starting to cry. 

He frowned. Had he made a mistake? Viktor wanted the skates so badly, but it had been almost a month. Maybe he had changed his mind? “Viktor-” 

“Oh, Yuuri! They’re wonderful!” That was a relief to hear. He reached out to touch them, his fingers dancing curiously over the leather, playing with the somewhat tattered laces. “Did you…?” 

“I traded the cloth that was left,” he explained. “I believe you’ve met Minako, the store keeper? She’s an old family friend. She let me in even though the shop was closed. Do you like them? I know they're a bit worn down, but they'll do the job just fine.” 

“They’re absolutely perfect, but… Yuuri, I thought you and your family would want to trade it for more food. Or use it to make some warm winter clothes.” 

Yuuri felt his heart sink a bit. He hadn’t even thought about what the rest of his family would want to do. “I’m… sorry. I just thought- Well, you’ve worked so hard, you deserve something special.” 

The small smile that crept across Viktor’s face made Yuuri feel weightless, like he could float off into the starry sky, but Viktor grabbed onto his hand, before he could even leave the ground. “You thought I deserved something special?” 

Yuuri knew he was blushing, and he hoped with everything he had that it was too dark for Viktor to notice. “Of course I did. I’d… Well, in a perfect world, I’d do something special for you every day.” 

Viktor’s smile only grew, “Oh…” 

“And you said you could make more of the cloth, right? As long as no one’s watching?” 

Viktor’s smile faded a bit, but he nodded. “Yes, I can.” 

“So, you can make some more,” Yuuri squeezed Viktor’s hand gently. “And we’ll take it into town; if Minako won’t buy it, I’m sure some of the traveling merchants will, this spring. You won’t be making any tomorrow, of course.” 

He giggled, feigning surprise. “I won’t? Why not?” 

“Because we’re going skating together, all day. I’m going to teach you everything I know, and we won’t come back until after the sun sets.” 

That earned Yuuri the hug he had anticipated.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Viktor was so excited to visit the pond that he almost skipped breakfast. Only Yuuri’s insistence that he would need energy to skate the day away was enough to convince him that, yes, eating was something he needed to do. They bundled up tight, and with their skates slung over their shoulders, the two men set out together. 

Viktor didn’t complain once, during the entire hike, and Yuuri wondered if he was simply growing used to the trip, or if having something to look forward to at the end of the short journey was enough to placate him. 

Yuuri, on the other hand, had his own worries. The sun felt too bright, and by the time they arrived at the clearing, it was so warm that Yuuri had to remove his hat and gloves. 

“Yuuri, you’ll show me how to lace up my skates, won’t you?” Viktor asked. He had reached a point of excitement where he looked more like he was dancing through the woods, rather than walking. “I know I’ve seen you do it, but I want to make sure it’s done right! What are you going to teach me first? Do you think I’ll be able to jump as high as you can? When I was a crane, I could fly, but this body is _so heavy-_ ” 

“Wait, Viktor,” Yuuri knew that Viktor had gotten his hopes up - something inadvisable in any situation, really, but he was still learning how to be human - and he hated to disappoint him… But putting him in harm’s way wasn’t an option. With the snow half-melted, it was easy enough to find  a rock large and heavy enough to test the ice. 

Sure enough, when Yuuri threw the rock, it bounced on the ice only once before it cracked, and then only once again before it fell through, sinking to the bottom of the pond. 

Viktor looked absolutely heartbroken. 

“But…” 

“We can’t skate if the ice is too thin,” Yuuri said, though clearly Viktor knew that already. When Yuuri looked up at him again, it seemed like he might burst into tears at any second. “Oh, Viktor, please don’t cry!” 

“But-” Viktor choked back a sob, but his tears were already flowing onto his soft, pink cheeks. “If winter’s over, I lost my chance. I won’t get to skate with you.” 

Yuuri couldn’t deny being disappointed with that, as well. At first, he wasn’t sure if he was cut out to _teach_ skating, but, if it would make Viktor happy… Yuuri was willing to try, at least. But since that was out of the picture, Yuuri needed to come up with something else to cheer him up. 

“Well… I already promised to teach you next winter, didn’t I?” Yuuri reminded him. “Before we were able to get you these skates."

Viktor stood incredibly still for a few moments before responding. “Yes, I remember…” 

“Nothing’s going to stop us from keeping that promise,” said Yuuri. “Unless you don’t want to come back here with me next year.” 

Viktor shook his head frantically, grabbing onto one of Yuuri’s hands with both of his. “No, I do!” 

Yuuri grinned; it was… cute, how eager he could be. Yuuri didn’t think _excitable_ was a trait he would ever find attractive in another person, his own demeanor was much more even tempered, but… _Opposites attract_ must have been a cliche for a reason.

“So we’ll come back here, to this pond, next year,” Yuuri’s commitment to that promise felt all the more strong, now that Viktor had a real, physical pair of skates in hand. The only thing standing between them and the ice now was… the lack of ice. 

“Hmm, I didn’t think about it before, but…” Viktor tapped at his chapped lips with his index finger, his eyes flickering with mischief. “Asking me to stay with you, for a whole year, promising to bring me back here next winter... That sounds like a marriage proposal.”

Yuuri felt like a hole had suddenly opened up in his chest. He knew the temperature was rising along with the sun, but there was no way that was proportional to how quickly his face was growing warmer and warmer. “I didn’t know cranes got married.” 

“We don’t,” Viktor quipped. He didn’t seemed disheartened at all, but Yuuri’s less than enthusiastic response. “Not like humans do, anyway. Your mother told me all about it, about how your father proposed to her, how nice their wedding was… It sounds so sweet.”

“I could never give you that.”

Viktor tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Why not?”

“Viktor, just-” Yuuri wanted desperately to tug at his hair in frustration, but Viktor refused to let go of his hand. “What kind of life do you think I could give you? You’ve seen my family, what our lives are like. We’re only a few rungs up from starving. And you- You’re so beautiful, and kind, and you deserve better. You deserve a full belly at night, and a nice wedding, and a gold ring, and I can’t give you any of that!” 

“Yuuri,” Viktor’s voice sounded strong and steady now, just like the hands that rested on Yuuri’s waist and gently pulled him closer. “I already love the life you’ve given me. Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but… All I want is you, Yuuri. Isn’t that what a marriage is?” 

Yuuri’s stomach did flips that would make his ice skating look like a toddler’s dance class. Maybe it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise, that the man Yuuri had been sharing a bed with wanted to be with him - _really_ be with him, in a way that wasn’t just implied by actions and rumors spread around town. In a way expressed by words and commitment, solid things that Yuuri and Viktor could both depend on.  

“If we need all of those other things to be married,” Viktor said, as if it were an afterthought. “We can trade my cloth for them, can’t we? If not, then I don’t think they matter, unless they matter to _you_.” 

That… was a good point. If Minako, however drunk, was willing to trade once, she would probably do it again. Not to mention the small hoard of merchants who would be making their way into Hasetsu soon, if spring really was arriving. 

“I….” Yuuri paused, turning to face Viktor, and this time it was his turn to take the other man by the hand. With one in each of his own, Yuuri took one last, deep breath, before diving into the deep end. “I want to get you a ring. I want you to have one, even if it isn’t anything really expensive or flashy.” 

Viktor could hardly contain himself. “Yeah?” 

Yuuri nodded, before he continued. “And… I do. Want to have a wedding, I mean. Just a small one. You can invite your family too, if you want-”

Viktor couldn’t contain a giggle, at that. “I doubt they’d be interested.”

“Oh…” Yuuri smiled halfheartedly. Maybe cranes didn’t keep track of relatives, the way humans did? “Well, you can be part of mine, now. If you want to.” 

“If I want to _what_?” Viktor asked, with a playful nudge. 

“Marry me.” Yuuri knew it was crazy. He knew falling in love, hard and fast, was reckless and stupid, and that he was asking a man he had known for just shy of a month - _one month!_  - to spend the rest of his life with him. A man who insisted he was really a bird, at that! 

But… Yuuri had never felt more sure of anything before. For years, Yuuri’s only comfort was skating, and that simple pleasure was only there for him for a few months out of each long year. Skating alone, in the woods, on a small pond so far away from any other people, had been his source of comfort for so long, that Yuuri had never stopped to consider the possibility of finding comfort in another. And now that he had…

He realized just how lonely he really was. When Viktor looked at him, like _that_ , with those perfect blue eyes, like Yuuri was the center of his whole world, Yuuri knew that he would never have to feel lonely again. There was no doubt in his mind.

He was in love.

 

* * *

 

Spring was in full bloom, when Viktor and Yuuri were married at a small church, on a hilltop just outside of Hasetsu. Profits from Viktor’s cloth paid for everything, from their suits (second hand, but still nice) to the rings they exchanged, to the food they fed their guests at the Inn afterwords. Not to mention the three new shirts Yuuri had hanging in his closet, all made out of the fabric Viktor had woven for him, to replace the one Yuuri had ruined to dress the crane's wound that harsh, cold winter night that had changed both of their lives for the better.

Yuuri wasn’t sure how he felt, about that. On the one hand, they wouldn’t have been able to have any of those things, if it weren’t for the money Viktor was making. But on the other, Yuuri wished he could have contributed more. A marriage was meant to be an equal partnership. 

Viktor didn’t seem too worried about it. Every time Yuuri brought it up, he merely held Yuuri tight and said, “From now on, we share everything, right? So it doesn’t matter.”

The ceremony was small, meant only for Yuuri’s family and a few close friends. Afterwords, Yuuri was surprised, and a bit disheartened, to realize he didn’t remember most of it. He was there, of course, repeating the words the priest told him to, but all he could think about was Viktor. He didn’t take his eyes off of his new husband the entire time.

That face, though - all bright smiles and big blue eyes and lips painted red just for the occasion - was something Yuuri would never forget. 

The entire town was invited to the reception, and as far as Yuuri could tell, most of them came. Their small banquet hall was packed full. For a few hours, Yuuri was a bit annoyed by the fact that someone else always seemed to be pressed against him. Until he realized that he probably felt that way because Viktor never left his side, his hand clasped tightly to Yuuri’s sleeve. 

“Are you nervous?” 

Viktor nodded, without hesitation. “I didn’t know there were this many humans.” 

“Well, my mom wanted to invite the whole town; she was worried about hurting feelings, I think, if someone didn’t get invited and they felt like they should have.” 

Viktor shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I didn’t know there were this many humans _anywhere_.”

Yuuri couldn’t help laughing at that. “It’s a little overwhelming, isn’t it? The whole town gets crowded like this in the spring, since we have a port.” 

Viktor nodded slowly, but Yuuri wondered if he really understood how many humans there were in the world. Hell, Yuuri wasn’t sure if that was a concept that he, an _actual_ human, really understood. There had to be hundreds - no, thousands - of towns just like Hasetsu all over the world, and plenty of larger cities with even more people in them. And all of those people had their own lives, their own loves, their own problems… 

Yuuri took hold of the hand still clinging to his sleeve and squeezed it tightly. He understood how lucky he was, to find someone he loved so much, when there were so many people out there. It was like finding a four-leaf clover, or a treasure sunken deep into the ocean. 

“But… Think of it this way,” Yuuri said, hoping to help Viktor find a positive way to look at his latest overwhelming revelation about what it meant to be human. “With this many people in the world, we’ll never have a difficult time selling your cloth.” 

Viktor’s lips curved up into a small smile. “You think so?” 

“I know so.” He didn’t, really, but for once Yuuri couldn’t bring himself to feel _too_ anxious about it. It was his wedding day, after all. For now, they had everything they needed. 

“I don’t want to talk about cloth anymore,” Viktor said, abruptly leaning in to kiss Yuuri’s cheek, before forcefully tugging him towards the area where the other couples were dancing. “Come on, Yuuri, you have to show me how to dance! I’ve never danced before!”

 

* * *

 

Yuuri’s feet were sore and covered in blisters, by the time the sun set on their wedding day, and the couple was finally allowed to retire to the honeymoon suite. Yuuri would have been just fine going back to their room, like usual; he wanted to sleep in his familiar bed, with the warm blanket his husband had made for them to share. But his parents had insisted, and Viktor looked so excited that Yuuri couldn’t bring himself to say no. 

The room was huge. Even with the large bed - big enough to fit at least the entire Katsuki family, including their newest addition - there was still plenty of floor space, and a special entrance to a private bath. Yuuri never understood the purpose of all that space. Sure, he could see how a secluded hot spring for two could be romantic, but this was a _couple’s_ room. Did two people really need that giant bed? 

But when he saw the way Viktor’s eyes lit up, it seemed worth it.

“It’s beautiful. All this, just for us to sleep?” 

“Yeah…” Yuuri tugged on his collar, which suddenly seemed very, very tight. “Viktor, we are on our honeymoon now.”

Viktor looked at him, as if he were expecting more. “And?” 

“Well…” Yes, his collar was way, way too tight. “I was wondering… If you know what that means; what people usually do on their wedding night.”

His cheeks flushed a bit. “Mari brought it up, when she was helping me get dressed. But she said she didn’t know if you’d have the guts to do it, if you haven't already tried.” 

“She- What?” Yuuri’s heart was pounding. Betrayed, by his own sister! “It’s none of her business!”

Viktor laughed, his hands resting on Yuuri’s hips. Just hearing him laugh, and seeing him smile, was enough to help Yuuri calm down. 

“It’s alright, Yuuri. I don’t care, what we do or don’t do tonight.”

“Well… I do. I want to, I mean. As long as you want to. Do you…?”

Viktor nodded, and Yuuri had never felt more relieved. His smile was sweet, but bordering on mischievous now. “I really, really do. You’ll show me how, won’t you?”

That collar might as well have been choking him, now. “It’s not like I’ve ever done it before-” 

Yuuri was cut off, suddenly tugged forward until he was pressed flush against Viktor’s chest. Even if he could feel his nerves mounting higher and higher by the second, it was still his favorite place in the world. Even better than that tiny pond during the winter. 

“That’s alright,” he said, his arms tightening around Yuuri. “I haven’t, either.”

Yuuri tucked his head under Viktor’s chin, hugging him back just as tight. He knew it would be awkward; plenty of fumbling and mistakes. Outside of a risqué book he had stumbled upon at the library, and an agonizingly awkward conversation with his parents a few years prior, Yuuri’s knowledge about sex was very limited. Considering the fact that Viktor had spent most of his life as a crane, he likely didn’t know much more than Yuuri. 

But he was surprised to find that he wasn’t nearly as nervous as he expected to be. He had a husband who loved him. For once, Yuuri almost believed that everything would turn out fine.

 

* * *

  

The sun was shining brightly through the window the next morning, when Yuuri woke up. Yuuri cursed himself for not remembering to draw the curtains, before ducking under the thick comforter to hide his eyes.

Viktor wasn’t with him, he noticed right away, but he could hear someone stumbling around in the small changing room. Why he bothered with that, Yuuri had no idea. Viktor hadn’t been particularly modest _before_ they got married.

“My Yuuri,” he said, sounding much too happy for such an early hour. “Won’t you take a bath with me, before breakfast?”

“I’ll be right there!” A bath first thing in the morning usually wasn’t his preference, but again, it was Viktor, and Yuuri couldn’t say no. He slowly opened his eyes, to a pillow he expected to find empty. And it was, mostly, except for several strands of long, silver hair. 

His vision blurry without his glasses, Yuuri reached out to touch it. There was no denying who the hair belonged to, and by now Yuuri was used to finding those long, light strands pretty much everywhere, but it surprised Yuuri just how much there was. Not quite enough for a handful, but Yuuri couldn’t remember waking up to something quite like this before. 

“Yuuri! Hurry up!” 

He shook his head, and sat up. It was probably nothing to worry about, and his new, handsome husband was waiting for him in the bath.

 

* * *

 

The week they spent in the honeymoon suite was blissful, sweet, and perfect. Yuuri couldn’t remember a time in his life where he felt happier. He loved Viktor when they got married, but it was different, after they returned to their regular life. Yuuri wasn’t sure if it was the vows, the physical act of making love, or just the word _husband_ that did it, but he felt so much closer to Viktor. His physical affection became both expected and wanted.

Unfortunately, that feeling of closeness and the amount of time Yuuri got to spend with his new husband didn’t quite match up the way he hoped. As summer came, word spread about the seemingly magical cloth, that could only be found in the small port town of Hasetsu. The inn was full to bursting almost every night, keeping Yuuri busy, and Viktor spent most of his waking hours in his private room, weaving yard after yard with no hope of ever meeting demand. 

Yuuri was starting to feel lonely again. Lonely in a way he hadn’t felt since before Viktor showed up on their doorstep. 

“I could work with you,” Yuuri offered, one night, as they got ready for bed. It was a rare moment; normally by the time Viktor came to bed, Yuuri was already asleep. “You might have to teach me, but if I could help you, maybe you wouldn’t have to work so hard-” 

“No.” Viktor’s voice sounded stern, but even in the dim moonlight, Yuuri could see the terrified glimmer in his bright blue eyes. “No, I can manage it just fine on my own. Besides, your family needs your help a lot more than I do. There are so many people here every day, they couldn't manage it without you, Yuuri.”

“But-” 

“No.” His voice was harder, the second time; despite the hot summer air, Yuuri felt cold all over. 

Yuuri never asked again.

 

* * *

 

Autumn was upon them before Yuuri realized it. Instead of a gradual change, it felt like all of a sudden, the air was chilly and the trees were brilliant shades of orange and red. The inn’s menu changed from fresh greens and seafood to hearty soups and fresh baked bread, now that the oven could be left on for long periods of time, without making the entire building unbearably hot. 

Normally, Yuuri was happy, when autumn arrived. The summer heat and humidity always left him sluggish, and the crisp, cool autumn air was much easier to breathe. It also meant that winter, and skating, were much, much closer. Every morning, Yuuri looked out the window, hoping for signs of frost; not only would that mean skating, but pulling Viktor out of his lonely room for short but happy days at the pond. 

Viktor, on the other hand, seemed to be wilting just like the trees, literally. Thanks to him, the Katsuki family was now well-fed, and enjoyed a large meal together nearly every night. Each and every one of them was gaining weight, except for Viktor, who seemed to grow thinner and thinner despite eating just as much as anyone else. Every morning, Yuuri woke up to more hair on their pillows. It wasn’t until Mari brought it up at dinner one evening, that Yuuri noticed just how thin his husband’s hair _was_.  

“It’s so obvious because it’s long,” Mari said, trying to offer a comforting smile. “If we cut it shorter, it won’t be as noticeable.”

Viktor clutched at his hair. He must have liked it, since he gave himself long hair when he turned into a human. Didn’t he? Yuuri had never thought about how much say Viktor had in his human appearance, how much control he had over that magic.

Not enough to keep his hair from falling out, apparently. Yuuri’s heart felt tight as Viktor’s eyes started tearing up. 

“I don’t want to,” he said, shaking his head. “I like my hair this way.” 

Her face softened a bit, “I know you do, Vitya. But it will look a lot healthier if you let me cut it. Thinning hair is just part of growing older; we’ll all have to contend with it eventually.” 

 _How old could he possibly be?_ Yuuri thought, as he watched his husband stroking his own hair, his expression serious as he contemplated Mari’s suggestion. As he pulled his hands away, several more strands fell out, and the look on his face could only be described as heartbroken. 

“Will it hurt?” 

Mari shook her head. “Not even a little. I bet Yuuri would even hold your hand, if you’re scared. He’s good for stuff like that.” 

After dinner, Mari cut Viktor’s hair. His grip on Yuuri’s hand was so tight that it hurt, and Yuuri was thankful that his nails were short and blunt enough, otherwise they might have cut into his skin. He endured every second, without a word; his pain felt like nothing, compared to the agony he saw in his husband’s eyes. Viktor’s tears fell along with his hair, the small droplets soaking into his clothes and the hardwood floors as the silver strands piled up around him.

 

* * *

  

Viktor’s mood didn’t improve much, after his hair was cut. The thinning was much less noticeable, just as Mari said it would be, but he didn’t seem to care. Yuuri caught him touching it, running his fingers over the much shorter ends for weeks afterwards. 

Yuuri did his best to cheer him up, but only one thing seemed to work; reminding Viktor that it was only a matter of time, before they could skate together. Yuuri would talk about it every night, right before the two of them fell asleep, and Viktor would always smile and nod along as he listened. Yuuri moved their skates out of the storage room, and left them hanging on the wall by the fireplace. 

Soon. 

 _Soon_ seemed to come much later than it usually did, though that might have been in part because of Yuuri’s anticipation to see his husband happy again. It seemed like winter was almost half over, before it was finally biter-cold for long enough that Yuuri was confident that the pond would be frozen over completely. As they turned in for the night, Viktor already mostly asleep, they promised that tomorrow would finally be the day.

When Yuuri woke up, he found that Viktor was already gone. Yuuri shook his head; that man was nothing if not over eager. Yuuri expected to find him downstairs already eating breakfast, but when he arrived in the dining room, dressed and ready to depart, he found only his sister, sipping at her tea. 

“He’s in his room,” she said, before Yuuri could even ask his question. “Weaving.” 

Being with Viktor wasn't always easy, and he asked Yuuri to accept a lot of seemingly impossible things without question. When Viktor told him that he was really the crane Yuuri had saved in the woods, magically transformed into a man, Yuuri had accepted that explanation, without any _real_ proof, even if it was difficult to swallow. When Viktor’s fabric performed all of the feats he claimed it could, Yuuri never bothered to ask why, and simply enjoyed the luxury his husband provided for him, and all of the money it brought to his family. Even the curiosity about how the magic cloth was made wasn’t strong enough for Yuuri to defy Viktor’s wishes.  

But this? This was what Viktor wanted most - ice skating with Yuuri, with a pair of skates all his own - and he couldn’t be bothered to leave his room to _finally_ skate with Yuuri, after all of their waiting and dreaming and planning? This was one thing Yuuri couldn’t accept blindly, with no explanation. He had to know, he had to see for himself what could possibly be so important. 

It didn’t cross Yuuri’s mind until he reached for the door handle that it would probably be locked. If Viktor insisted on keeping his secret, in a house that was so often full of strangers, surely he made a habit of locking the door to his personal space. Much to Yuuri’s surprise, when he tried, the door opened easily for him.

He wasn’t sure what he expected to find inside. Yuuri knew right from the start that Viktor’s cloth had to be some sort of magic, but nothing he had imagined over the past several months could have prepared him for what he saw when he opened the door. 

Any doubt that Viktor really was the crane Yuuri had saved in the woods almost one year ago vanished, as Yuuri’s eyes fell upon the bird. _Viktor_. The creature stood at the loom, the once muffled _clack clack clack_ noises from the apparatus much louder now, as the bird wove its feathers through it. Yuuri could only assume how those pure white feathers turned into a deep red cloth, and the assumption made his stomach grow cold. 

“Viktor!”

The bird had continued working undisturbed, but when he heard his name, he looked up from his work, it’s small black eyes (so, _so_ different from the large, sweet, blue eyes Yuuri had come to love so much), met Yuuri’s, and- 

It all happened so fast. If Yuuri didn’t know any better, he would say lightning struck the room. Maybe it did, for all he knew. The bright flash had some force to it, enough to knock Yuuri backwards, out into the hall. The crane’s cry was full of anguish, much like the one Yuuri heard in the woods, when he first met the magical bird. But this was louder, so loud that Yuuri felt like his ears might burst open. 

Yuuri sat up quickly, only to find that the crane was gone. In his place was Viktor, the _human_ Viktor, on the ground, eyes closed, surrounded by feathers and what Yuuri could only guess was his own blood, though there was no obvious sign of injury.

“Viktor…” Yuuri felt frozen, colder than he had ever felt outside, even on the worst winter day. “Viktor! Please!” His limbs felt like jelly, but he found the strength to crawl towards his beloved, desperately searching for a pulse; he found one, when he pressed his hand against Viktor’s neck, but it felt faint, and Viktor’s skin felt fridged. “Someone, Mari! Help!”

 

* * *

 

The Katsuki family got Viktor into the nearest room, unconscious, but still alive. The doctor seemed quite perplexed, when he showed up to examine him; blood loss, but no wound. Yuuri had a feeling that the human doctor wouldn’t be able to help his crane husband, and his advice (let him sleep, keep him warm, fetch me if anything changes) seemed hollow and hopeless.

He didn’t dare leave Viktor’s side. When Yuuri made his wedding vows, _until death do us part_ seemed synonymous with _forever_. Now, Yuuri was faced with the horrible realization that it might not be the case.  

Yuuri wept, every time the thought crossed his mind. How long was a crane’s life? Even if Viktor did wake up, and forgive him, how much time would they have left together? Would Viktor’s magic be able to keep him human until they both grew old? Or would he change back into a crane again, and fly away, never to be seen again? Every possibility Yuuri imagined seemed worse than the last.

Yuuri was somewhere in between awake, asleep, and daydreaming, when Viktor finally woke up two days later. Most mornings, Viktor woke up slowly, his unnaturally long eyelashes fluttering before he finally opened his eyes. That was usually followed by a smile, and a good morning kiss for Yuuri; now that he had grown used to that, Yuuri’s heart ached at the thought of waking up any other way.

Instead, Viktor’s eyes snapped open, and he sat up in bed so quickly that it made Yuuri’s head spin. 

“You- 

“Why did you leave the door unlocked?” Yuuri blurted out, before he even realized his mouth was moving. All those questions, and that was the first one that managed to pop out. “All of those doors lock from the inside, if you really didn’t want me to see-”

“Because I trusted you! You said you wouldn’t come in, and I believed you, because I loved you!”

“ _Loved…_ ?” Yuuri’s heart already felt weak, but that word - _loved_ \- was almost enough to shatter it. Did Viktor really not love him anymore? “So, you don’t…?” 

“What? No, Yuuri-” Viktor reached out, as if he intended to grab Yuuri’s hand. He stopped, staring at his own hand in shock. “I…” 

A long silence followed, as Yuuri allowed him time to get his thoughts sorted into words. It was the least he could do, and he knew it, but the weight of anticipation felt so heavy, Yuuri felt as if he might be crushed by it at any second. 

“For a minute, I was sure that I didn’t. But I _do_. Yuuri, I still love you _so much_. How can I love you, and still be so, _so_ angry with you?” 

Despite everything, Yuuri couldn’t stop himself from laughing. Despite everything, Viktor was still so innocent, still had so much to learn about being human. Despite everything, he still loved Yuuri. He was a bit surprised that, when he reached out to take his husband’s hand, it was Viktor who held on tight, lacing their fingers together firmly. 

He could have broken Yuuri’s hand to pieces, if he wanted to; Yuuri wouldn’t let go of him for the world.

“I think,” he said, wiping away his own tears, before reaching up to take care of Viktor’s. “That the human heart is a lot more complicated than anyone could ever understand.” 

Viktor’s frown deepened. “Well… That’s not fair. How was I supposed to know that? I wasn’t raised human, and you never told me!”

“Would it have made a difference? If you had known, would you have still become human anyway?”

“If someone had told me,” Viktor started, speaking slowly at first, as if each word was carefully chosen. “I wouldn’t have come to you when I did. I wouldn’t have gone to your house, and waited for you outside in the snow until I almost froze to death. 

Yuuri should have expected that answer, but brought fresh tears to his eyes all the same. He should have known that, once he betrayed Viktor’s trust, anything and everything special they ever had would be lost. It was his fault. When Viktor became thinner, and his hair started to fall out, Yuuri should have made the connection, that it had something to do with how hard he was working. He should have asked more questions. He should have been the sort of husband Viktor could trust, with the answers to those questions; and Viktor must have thought very little of him, Yuuri realized, now that he knew the burden the man he loved had been shouldering on his own, for so long. He should have had the patience to talk to Viktor, when he was upset about how little time they were spending together, instead of barging into his private space to demand answers-

“I never would have flown away from you in the first place.” 

He was sitting down, but Yuuri felt like a rug had been pulled out from under him. “... What?” 

“Every second I’ve spent with you has been precious to me,” he said his eyes filling up with his own tears. “To think, I wasted so much time watching you from afar, when we could have spent those days together-” 

“But I broke your trust-”

“And I’m so angry at you!” Viktor’s fists slammed into the mattress, with enough force that Yuuri half expected a much louder sound upon impact. “But I still love you, and love like this… I never would have had anything like it, as a crane. I was always so lonely. I’m never lonely with you, Yuuri. I could never regret changing, even if it hurts sometimes, or I don’t understand what I’m feeling, or what’s going on. I still get to be with you.”

Yuuri nodded slowly, the next wave of tears spilling over for completely different reasons this time. Yuuri had given up trying to wipe them away; they were both crying, and they both knew it. Why bother trying to hide it? Especially now that Viktor’s deep, dark secret had finally been revealed. Yuuri hoped there would never be any secrets between them again, big or small.

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” It was the question weighing heavily on his mind, above all others. “I thought you trusted me-”

“I did- I mean, I do trust you, Yuuri.”

“Then why all the secrets?”

“Because…” Viktor’s hands fidgeted in his lap, like a child caught doing something naughty. “I knew you would try to stop me. And it really wasn’t so bad, at first! I really did think I could go on making that cloth forever, making you happy forever. But the more I made, the more tired I became… But more and more merchants came asking for it, I just couldn’t let you and your family down.” 

“You could never let us down,” Yuuri said, with absolute certainty. “I… I won’t lie, the extra money was nice, but I would rather have a happy, healthy husband. I’d rather have _you_. I’d give up anything for that.” 

“Even skating?” 

Yuuri didn’t hesitate. “Even skating.” 

“Do you think I’ll ever stop being angry?” Viktor asked, his expression completely serious. 

“I really hope so.” Yuuri chuckled; it was hard not to. Even now, Viktor still depended on Yuuri to help him navigate all of the complex avenues of being human. It had seemed… intimidating, at first; a lot of work that Yuuri wasn’t sure he could handle, or if he even wanted to try. Now? He found it endearing. “I don’t like it when you’re upset with me. And I plan on doing everything I can to make it up to you, Vitya.”

“Oh?” Viktor’s face lit up at that. Yuuri’s chest felt a little lighter, as well, but he had a feeling he would be carrying around that heavy feeling for a while. “What did you have in mind?”

“Waiting on you hand and foot until you’re well again, for starters. Then, I will teach you to skate, like I promised. After that… I’ll probably throw in a few other things here in there, but I wanted to finish up with spending the rest of my life with you. If you’ll still have me.”

“Aw, Yuuri…” Viktor’s stern expression melted so easily. Yuuri had a feeling he wasn’t out of the woods just yet, but all things considered, he was a very lucky man. “I told you once already, didn’t I? Cranes mate for life.”

* * *

 

“Yuuri!” Viktor stopped suddenly, turning around so sharply that he nearly fell over. His hair, now long enough that it almost touched his shoulders, bounced and swayed along with him when he skated, almost like it was doing a dance all its own. “How was that?” 

It was a bit clumsy, not nearly as smooth as the ice dancers from Yuuri’s childhood. But, now that he thought about it, the only people Yuuri had ever seen skate were those performers, and his husband. 

“It was beautiful, Vitya.”

Viktor smiled so brightly, Yuuri would have bet all of the money he had - and it wasn’t much, these days - that when the sun disappeared from the sky, it hid itself inside that man. 

“We should probably leave, soon,” he added, as much as it pained him to say so. “My mother will be furious, if we’re out after dark again.”

Viktor snorted, skating up to him, nearly knocking Yuuri over as he placed a protective arm around him. “I’ll protect you from any bandits in the woods, my Yuuri; you have nothing to worry about.”

As they did almost every night, the two lovers skated until the sun was setting in the sky, and arrived home well after dark. After receiving their scolding, they shared a quick dinner - plain rice, with no pork - before retiring to their bedroom; still a bit hungry, incredibly cold, but rich with their love for each other.


End file.
